The Fuel of Life
by Claryssa
Summary: Based on the Dark Angel Trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce.Aeriel's story is at an end... or so it seems. It's Irrylath's turn now. No longer about a prophecy from the Ancient Ravenna, Irrylath has a promise to keep and he will risk everything for it.
1. Aeriel

ONE

**Aeriel**

"Aeriel!" a voice cried out to her. She opened her eyes to see him as he had been a full year and six daymonths before. Tears of anguish ran down his face as he called for her again, "Aeriel!" He yelled her name again and again, "Come back, Aeriel! Don't leave me!" He pleaded with her. If there had been any other option, she would have taken it, but she had not been given a choice. It was what she must do; it was for the good of the world… and for him.

She willed herself to wake from the dream that haunted her. She lay uncomfortably still on the too soft bed that Melkior had given her. She shut her eyes tightly to try to push any thoughts of him aside. 'Now,' she told herself mentally, 'Stop this silliness. This is no time to be so selfish.' She sighed to her self, clearing her mind and sat up. Erin was not in the next bed. It was no surprise as her shadow was always getting up before her, lately.

"Aeriel." A familiar voice echoed through her mind, "It is time to begin today's work."

"Yes, yes." She murmured as she climbed from the bed and dressed herself. She walked slowly through NuRavenna, heading to the large library that she had been guided to on the first day. There, she had been studying the writing of the Ancients.

"Aeriel," The voice within her spoke, "soon it will be time to leave this place and seek the rest of my sorcery. You have progressed quickly and have almost mastered our language."

Aeriel smiled slightly. After a few daymonths, she had managed to learn how to keep the bit of Ravenna within her from certain areas of her mind. She feared what might be said if it was found that he still haunted her thoughts and dreams.

Proceeding into the library, she began to head for the section that she had studied in since she came here a year and a half past. She stopped when the voice spoke again.

"That is not where we are going today. You know enough of our language to sustain you for the time being. Today you will begin studying the mechanism of this world. Please, head to the south wing." Following Ravenna's guidance, Aeriel found the area quite easily and piled the books and materials she would need onto a table and sitting at it. Her work for the day had begun.

It was not many hours since she had started that a voice pulled her from the book she was currently looking over.

"Aeriel!" the female voice called, "Come here!" Ignoring the protests of the voice within her head, she went to greet the dark girl, her own shadow and embraced her tightly.

"Erin!" she cried happily.

"I'm sorry that I haven't seen you often these past daymonths." The darker girl replied, "I have something to show you though!" She continued, pulling from the hug and dragging her light along. Aeriel only laughed and followed. Erin stopped abruptly, reaching her destination. "Here we are." She stated. Aeriel stumbled a moment, steadied herself then looked around.

"I see nothing…" she replied, dully. She took a breath to continue, but was cut off by a burst of laughter from Erin.

"Of course not, silly. They're wearing daycloaks!" she explained, still chuckling softly to herself. Aeriel watched the shadows as three duaroughs came into view; she laughed out in joy.

"Brandl! Maruha! Talb! But how? How did you get in?" she asked, hugging them each in turn. She ignored the feeling of anger rising from the pearl stuff and her own hope of someone else perhaps coming to find her. _'He has an oath.'_ She told herself, _'He cannot break it.'_ Talb pulled her from her thoughts with the answer to her question.

"Erin let us in of course." He spoke with a light scoff. Smiling, he continued, "It good to see you well, child." She only smiled in return and began to ask them what they had been doing this past year and a half. But two hours passed, before the pearl stuff became insistent and Aeriel excused herself to return to her studies.

Deep in her studies, no interruptions came until just before solstarset, this time it came from Ravenna's pearl dust.

"Someone is trying to get into the dome by way of the Pilgrim's Pass." It told her, surprised. Surprised and curious, Aeriel halted her studies once again and moved toward the entrance that she had once found. Nearing the area, she heard an argument in process.

"Melkior, let him in!" Erin was shouting desperately to the tall galom, but he would do nothing. His idea of what to do would not change.

"He cannot come in." he stated, simply, towering above her. Ravenna deemed it time to intervene. She spoke through Aeriel.

"Let him through for he has heard the Pilgrim's Call." She ordered.

Stunned, Melkior stumbled to continue his argument and explain his stance to the Lady, "But Lady, it's…" he was cut off by a cold look from her. He immediately silenced and opened the path.

A young man entered. He did not look as she remembered; his dark black hair fell longer, perhaps five inches past his shoulders. His face was weary, but composed. The scars trailing his face were no longer colorless. His eyes though, they still held their fierce determination and intensity. There was no doubt. It was him. Staring in utter disbelief, Aeriel could only manage a single, breathy word.

"Irrylath."

The Fuel of Life


	2. An Impossible Task

A/N:  I have a review! Brokendreamcatcher, thanks for the feedback and I must agree. I love the series to death, I just wish that the end had turned out better for Aeriel and Irrylath. Thus, the fanfic. Anyway, here's chapter two.

TWO

**An Impossible Task**

"Aeriel…" he whispered in reply. She hadn't changed since he had last seen her. Her light hair still fell to her shoulders and her eyes remained their entrancing dark green. Her eyes reflected his own shock at simply seeing her again. Only minutes before, he had been despairing that he would have come so far and not see her. Yet, here she was, standing before him. Suddenly, his initial shock was overcome and he grinned with joy.

"Aeriel! It's really you!" he cried and reached as though to embrace her. However, he was met with a jolt before he could touch her. He jumped back in surprise, his blue a mesh of pain and surprise, just as they had been that morning a year and a half before. "Aeriel?" he watched her, a pleading look marring his features, "Why? Why will you not allow me to touch you?"

She only stared back, her face emotionless, "What have you come here for?" she asked, her voice held a different quality the Aeriel than he remembered, it was deeper, richer than the voice of the Aeriel he knew. This was not her. The explanation came to him, unbidden, as though he'd known all along and hadn't realized.

"Ravenna." He breathed and immediately composted himself. He had a purpose. He stared sternly as the Ravenna within Aeriel. "I have come to keep a promise."

"A promise?" the Ravenna, her tone demanded an answer and the answer was immediate and short.

"To rescue Aeriel." Ravenna's eyes narrowed in surprise.

"Rescue her? From what?" His eyes took on a steely glow as his anger mounted.

"From you. From the fate you have forced upon her." He had searched for too long to be stopped now.

"You speak of what you do not understand. Your Aeriel has a duty that she must perform You made a promise that you cannot keep. Go now." Her response did not ignite his fury instead, he calmed and his demeanor was sad again.

"Please." His gaze remained on the image of Aeriel, his wife, before him. "There has to be something I can do." He held his hand out, "Aeriel… please."

He nearly jumped when a hand took his… it was hears. Her all-seeing emerald eyes bore his azure ones. He squeezed her hand warmly and spoke softly, "Please… tell me what I can do." She slipped her hand from his grasp and shook her head.

"There is nothing. I am sorry. What you wish… it is… impossible. It must forget… forget about me… I must carry out this task." He stepped back in shock and sorrow. This was her voice… Aeriel's… telling him to give up on her, to turn away from a journey he began six months ago. No… he refused to accept it. He shook his head; his eyes were fierce and determined.

"No! There has to be another way and I will find it!" he announced.

"I will not stop you. You may try what you like. Now go." It was the stern Ancient Lady's voice again that came from the Aeriel's lips. Those lips he longed to kiss…his wife… the woman he loved. This woman's words now placed a seed of doubt struck his heart. If he left now to find a way to save her… would he ever see her again?

"King Irrylath!" a familiar voice rang out, interrupting his thoughts. He turned, standing in the shade, with a hood about his shoulders, stood a short man he had known almost his entire childhood. The Master Treasure-Keeper and Little Mage of Downwending, Talb. Two of his fellow daoroughs stood at his side… Brandl and Maruha. Irrylath's face brightened, but he did not smile.

"Talb!" he cried, "What are you doing here?" The little mage smiled sadly.

"I could ask you the very same thing, child, but I believe that I already know." He responded, as his gaze wandered from Irrylath to Aeriel and back. He bowed to the Lady Ravenna and spoke to her, "I thank you for allowing us to impede for so long. We will take our leave now. I will also take the King of Avaric with me."

"I thank you." Ravenna nodded and strode away, taking Aeriel and much of Irrylath's hope with her. Erin followed soon after.

"Come along now, boy." Talb spoke calmly as he moved. Lacking a voice for the moment, Irrylath only complied.

Once in the Pilgrim's Path again, the three daoroughs and the human king walked in silence. Irrylath wanted to ask them how long they had been in the Domed City, but he feared thinking about her words. Those words, _'It is impossible to help me.'_ He shook his head fiercely.

"No!" he shouted, "There has to be something that I can do!" he assured himself. The little mage, who had taken to walking next to his king.

"Yes, I believe there is something that can be done. I have spent many daymonths in the Ravenna's library studying the workings of the World and the language of the Ancients." He told the Avaric king, "But first," he added, he added, silencing the young man from his inevitable barrage of questions, "How did you manage to escape from your duties to the Avariclon."

The man sighed and brushed a dark strand of hair from his face, "I did not escape. I am here with permission from the Avariclon. I am not the only man or creature fond of the Aeriel."

Talb merely nodded, "Then, I will tell you of how you can help." The blue-eyed man stopped and turned eager eyes on the Master Treasure Keeper. "The Machinery of the World must be restored. That is what I believe Ravenna's sorcery is needed for. That is Aeriel's task, to gather the Ancient's lost sorcery… we may be able to help. Ravenna was not the only Ancient who created this world and she may not be the last on the planet. Perhaps, if we can find another… one whose magic is still complete, we may be able to finish this task within your lifetime and you may yet have your Aeriel at your side, as is your wish."

"Isn't it the daoroughs' job to maintain the Machinery?" Irrylath asked and the little mage nodded.

"Yes; however, some are so badly damaged that only the knowledge of the Ancients can fix them." He explained.

"So, we must find the other Ancients?"

"Yes."

"Do you know where to look first?"

"No."

"Then we ask Pendarlon."

"That is a start, though he might not know either." The little mage warned.

"But he might know." Irrylath retorted, his hope restored and spirits soaring. He pulled Talb into a hug and moved ahead with renewed vigor. "Thank you old friend!" he called back.

"W-wait!" the mage called, running to catch up, "I'll go with you!"

The Fuel of Life


	3. A Note From The Author

I know what you're all thinking, "She's actually updating

I know what you're all thinking, "She's actually updating!" Or at least I hope your thinking is that enthusiastic. Anyway, unfortunately, I'm not. Not just yet. The third chapter titled, "Talb's Concern" is in the works; however, as you can see it has been a very long time since I updated and I am likely to want to revamp the first two chapters. First things first though, what I am currently in the process of doing for this story is re-read the Darkangel Trilogy, so that I have the character's voices back in my head and I can effectively keep them as in character as possible. I hope you can remain patient with me, as I am also currently in school and working to pay for my tuition.

Here's to the hope of updating soon!

Claryssa

P.S. Keep an eye on this chapter as it will be replaced with chapter three as soon as I finish it.


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